A micro-actuator for a head gimbal assembly includes a support frame including a bottom support adapted to be connected to a suspension of the head gimbal assembly, a top support adapted to support a slider of the head gimbal assembly, and a leading beam that couples the bottom support and the top support. The leading beam includes weak points or notches that allow the top support to rotate about a rotational axis in use. A first PZT element is mounted between first sides of the top and bottom supports, and a second PZT element is mounted between second sides of the top and bottom supports. The first and second PZT elements are excitable to cause selective rotational movement of the top support about the rotational axis in use.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A micro-actuator for a head gimbal assembly, comprising: a support frame including a bottom support adapted to be connected to a suspension of the head gimbal assembly, a top support adapted to support a slider of the head gimbal assembly, and a leading beam that couples the bottom support and the top support, the leading beam including weak points or notches that allow the top support to rotate about a rotational axis in use; and first and second PZT elements, the first PZT element mounted between first sides of the top and bottom supports, and the second PZT element mounted between second sides of the top and bottom supports, the first and second PZT elements being excitable to cause selective rotational movement of the top support about the rotational axis in use; wherein the top support includes vertically extending side plates on opposing first and second sides thereof and the bottom support includes vertically extending side plates on opposing first and second sides thereof the side plates of the top and bottom supports structured to support the first and second PZT elements.
2. The micro-actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the frame is constructed of metal, ceramic, or polymer.
3. The micro-actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second PZT elements are mounted by epoxy bonding, adhesive, or ACF.
4. The micro-actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second PZT elements are single-layer thin-film PZT or multi-layer thin-film PZT.
5. The micro-actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second PZT elements are single-layer ceramic PZT or multi-layer ceramic PZT.
6. The micro-actuator according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second PZT elements includes a substrate layer and a PZT layer.
7. The micro-actuator according to claim 6 , wherein the PZT layer is a multi-layer PZT including multiple electrodes and PZT crystal sandwiched between the electrodes.
8. The micro-actuator according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second PZT elements includes a substrate layer and a multi-layer PZT structure.
9. The micro-actuator according to claim 8 , wherein each layer of the PZT structure includes two electrodes that sandwich a thin-film PZT material.
10. The micro-actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second PZT elements have the same polarization direction.
11. The micro-actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second PZT elements have opposite polarization directions.
12. A head gimbal assembly comprising: a micro-actuator; a slider; and a suspension that supports the micro-actuator and the slider, wherein the micro-actuator includes: a support frame including a bottom support connected to the suspension, a top support that supports the slider, and a leading beam that couples the bottom support and the top support, the leading beam including weak points or notches that allow the top support to rotate about a rotational axis in use; and first and second PZT elements, the first PZT element mounted between first sides of the top and bottom supports, and the second PZT element mounted between second sides of the top and bottom supports, the first and second PZT elements being excitable to cause selective rotational movement of the top support about the rotational axis in use; wherein the top support includes vertically extending side plates on opposing first and second sides thereof and the bottom support includes vertically extending side plates on opposing first and second sides thereof, the side plates of the top and bottom supports structured to support the first and second PZT elements.
13. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the bottom support is connected to a suspension tongue of the suspension.
14. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the suspension tongue includes a T-shaped step constructed of a polymer laminate, and the bottom support and a portion of the leading beam are mounted on the T-shaped step.
15. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 13 , wherein a parallel gap is provided between the support frame and suspension tongue.
16. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the suspension includes a load beam, the load beam having a dimple that engages the suspension tongue.
17. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 16 , wherein a center of the slider, the weak points, and the dimple are aligned along a common axis.
18. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the slider is partially mounted on the top support by epoxy.
19. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the frame is constructed of metal, ceramic, or polymer.
20. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the first and second PZT elements are mounted by epoxy bonding, adhesive, or ACF.
21. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the first and second PZT elements are single-layer thin-film PZT or multi-layer thin-film PZT.
22. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the first and second PZT elements are single-layer ceramic PZT or multi-layer ceramic PZT.
23. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 12 , wherein each of the first and second PZT elements includes a substrate layer and a PZT layer.
24. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 23 , wherein the PZT layer is a multi-layer PZT including multiple electrodes and PZT crystal sandwiched between the electrodes.
25. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 12 , wherein each of the first and second PZT elements includes a substrate layer and a multi-layer PZT structure.
26. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 25 , wherein each layer of the PZT structure includes two electrodes that sandwich a thin-film PZT material.
27. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the first and second PZT elements have the same polarization direction.
28. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the first and second PZT elements have opposite polarization directions.
29. A disk drive device comprising: a head gimbal assembly including a micro-actuator, a slider, and a suspension that supports the micro-actuator and slider; a drive arm connected to the head gimbal assembly; a disk; and a spindle motor operable to spin the disk, wherein the micro-actuator includes: a support frame including a bottom support connected to the suspension, a top support that supports the slider, and a leading beam that couples the bottom support and the top support, the leading beam including weak points or notches that allow the top support to rotate about a rotational axis in use; and first and second PZT elements, the first PZT element mounted between first sides of the top and bottom supports, and the second PZT element mounted between second sides of the top and bottom supports, the first and second PZT elements being excitable to cause selective rotational movement of the top support about the rotational axis in use; wherein the top support includes vertically extending side plates on opposing first and second sides thereof and the bottom support includes vertically extending side plates on opposing first and second sides thereof, the side plates of the top and bottom supports structured to support the first and second PZT elements.
30. A head gimbal assembly comprising: a micro-actuator; a slider; and a suspension including a suspension tongue that supports the micro-actuator and the slider, the micro-actuator includes: a support frame including a bottom support connected to the suspension, a top support that supports the slider, and a leading beam that couples the bottom support and the top support, the leading beam including weak points or notches that allow the top support to rotate about a rotational axis in use; and first and second PZT elements, the first PZT element mounted between first sides of the top and bottom supports, and the second PZT element mounted between second sides of the top and bottom supports, the first and second PZT elements being excitable to cause selective rotational movement of the top support about the rotational axis in use, wherein the suspension includes a load beam having a dimple that engages the suspension tongue, and wherein a center of the slider, the weak points, and the dimple are aligned along a common axis, and wherein the top support includes vertically extending side plates on opposing first and second sides thereof and the bottom support includes vertically extending side plates on opposing first and second sides thereof, the side plates of the top and bottom supports structured to support the first and second PZT elements.
31. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 30 , wherein the suspension tongue includes a T-shaped step constructed of a polymer laminate, and the bottom support and a portion of the leading beam are mounted on the T-shaped step.
32. The head gimbal assembly according to claim 30 , wherein a parallel gap is provided between the support frame and suspension tongue.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
December 15, 2005
January 6, 2009
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.